Two new publications by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) show 2016 was a phenomenal year for New Zealand films.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople was the top film for the year at the local box office, taking a record breaking $12,181,582, the highest ever box office for a New Zealand film and the sixth highest-grossing film of all time in New Zealand.
A record number of films - 414 in total - were released in New Zealand in 2016 making the success of Hunt for the Wilderpeople even more outstanding. Cinemagoers have never had more choice, with the number of films being released doubling in the past ten years.
Nine New Zealand films were released in 2016, including Lee Tamahori's Mahana which was a critical and box office success ($1.26 million), documentaries Chasing Great ($1.83 million) and Poi E ($1.2 million).
In total, 1,390,694 tickets to New Zealand films were sold at cinemas in 2016, giving New Zealand films an 8.7% share of the $206,605,000 total New Zealand box office for the year.
You can download the New Zealand Box Office 2016 Report and a table showing New Zealand Feature Films' Share of New Zealand Box Office here.